For decades, Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem reflected a familiar global pattern — male-dominated, slow to change, and cautious about innovation. Women entrepreneurs were there, but often overlooked, underestimated, or underfunded. That narrative is changing fast — thanks to a new generation of visionary leaders who are shattering stereotypes and building groundbreaking businesses from the ground up.
At the forefront of this transformation are Sadia Haque, Sylvana Quader Sinha, and Tasfia Tasbin — three women from dramatically different sectors who share a common purpose: to lead with impact, inspire future generations, and reshape Bangladesh’s entrepreneurial future.
Let’s dive into the remarkable journeys of these pioneering women and explore how they’re not just building startups — they’re leading a revolution.
Table of Contents
🚀 Sadia Haque: Digitizing Travel with ShareTrip
In an industry historically dominated by traditional, male-led businesses, Sadia Haque saw an opportunity — and she seized it. Today, she stands as a symbol of how perseverance, innovation, and vision can challenge outdated systems and rebuild them for the future.
Breaking into a Male-Dominated Industry
When Sadia entered the travel and aviation sector over a decade ago, it was a world with no digital solutions, run on manual systems and outdated models. Her voice wasn’t just new — it was often unwelcome. “I had to be louder just to be heard,” she says, recalling the skepticism she faced from stakeholders unaccustomed to taking a woman seriously in this space.
Building Bangladesh’s First Online Travel Giant
In 2014, Sadia and her husband launched a small offline travel agency. Behind the scenes, they began building technology that would eventually become ShareTrip — Bangladesh’s first major online travel tech platform. By 2018, they secured their first foreign investment, and ShareTrip began to scale, changing how Bangladeshis plan their travel.
Leadership Lessons from Corporate to Startup
With a professional background at top companies like Grameenphone, Banglalink, BBC, and Nokia, Sadia leveraged her strategic and branding expertise to create a company with global ambition. But she also notes that the entrepreneurial journey demanded more — assertiveness, resilience, and visibility. “In entrepreneurship, you have to speak up. You have to own the room,” she says.
Juggling Roles and Rewriting Expectations
As a mother of two daughters, Sadia highlights the extra layer of responsibility women bear — managing households while building empires. And yet, she remains focused on moving the conversation beyond celebration to execution. “We need more action and fewer hashtags,” she says.
🩺 Sylvana Quader Sinha: Revolutionizing Healthcare with Praava Health
Sylvana Quader Sinha didn’t just launch a company — she built a healthcare movement in Bangladesh. With no blueprint and few peers, she founded Praava Health to bridge the gap between quality and accessible care, combining international standards with local insight.
From Global Policy to Local Impact
With a background in law and global policy, Sylvana returned to Bangladesh determined to fix a broken system. In 2014, she launched Praava with a vision to offer patient-centered, tech-integrated outpatient care — something almost nonexistent in the country at the time.
Facing Gender Bias Head-On
As a female founder, Sylvana faced challenges that her male counterparts didn’t. From invasive questions about her marital status to being held to a higher standard, she quickly realized that women had to work harder just to earn the same credibility. Yet, she views this as a strength: “Being held to a higher standard pushes you to build a better product, a stronger company.”
Creating an Inclusive Leadership Culture
Sylvana didn’t just break barriers — she lifted others with her. Under her leadership, half of Praava’s management team were women — a rarity in Bangladesh. She believes that female leaders attract and cultivate more female leaders, creating a ripple effect of empowerment across industries.
Transitioning to Mentor and Chair
After serving as CEO for nearly a decade, Sylvana recently stepped into the role of Chair of the Board, ready to mentor and support the next generation of female founders. Her advice for entrepreneurs? “Resilience, patience, emotional maturity, and the belief that your vision matters — even when others don’t see it yet.”
🤖 Tasfia Tasbin: Powering the Future with Markopolo.ai
Tasfia Tasbin’s journey from a girl who was doubted to a tech innovator celebrated by Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia is nothing short of inspiring. With a passion for AI and a commitment to solving real-world problems, she is building a future where digital access is equitable and intelligent.
Defying Societal Expectations
Coming from a background where girls in engineering were often discouraged, Tasfia’s determination stood out. Even in university, she was told she had “wasted a public university seat” just by being a woman. Instead of conforming, she immersed herself in robotics, coding, and competitive tech events.
Rising through the Tech Ranks
Starting as an IoT developer, she soon moved into leadership roles at Gaze and worked with major firms like DMP, Skitto, and Praava Health. At Dhaka Metropolitan Police, she was lovingly known as “IT Apa” — a testament to how she earned respect with knowledge, not titles.
Founding Markopolo.ai
In 2020, during the pandemic, Tasfia co-founded Markopolo.ai, a marketing automation platform aimed at helping small and female-led businesses succeed in the digital world. With no external funding, she launched the platform on Product Hunt using her own savings. Today, Markopolo.ai is globally recognized and a leader in AI-powered marketing solutions.
Advocating for Financial Inclusion
Despite her success, Tasfia highlights a persistent barrier — access to finance. “Banks still hesitate to lend to women-led businesses, even when they’re profitable,” she says. She believes that female founders build with resilience and long-term vision, and that they deserve a financial system that supports this.
Sonia Bashir Kabir: Pioneering Technology Investor
Sonia Bashir Kabir is a visionary technology entrepreneur, angel investor, and institutional venture capital fund manager from Bangladesh. Widely regarded as the only female technology investor in Bangladesh with a dedicated focus on tech startups in South Asia’s emerging markets, Sonia has built a legacy of empowering innovation and inclusion through decades of leadership in the global tech ecosystem.
Who is Sonia Bashir Kabir?
Sonia Bashir Kabir is a Bangladeshi technology entrepreneur, investor, and venture capital fund manager. She is best known as the first and only female tech investor in Bangladesh with a primary focus on emerging markets in South Asia. With roots in Silicon Valley and deep ties to global organizations, Sonia’s impact bridges continents, industries, and social causes—particularly youth engagement and women empowerment in technology.
Early Life and Education
Born and raised in Bangladesh, Sonia’s early education took place at St. Francis Xavier’s Green Herald International School and Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. Her life changed course when she moved to Silicon Valley, Northern California, where she immersed herself in the world of technology and innovation.
She holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from California State University, East Bay, and an MBA from Santa Clara University, equipping her with a strong academic foundation in science, business, and global strategy.
Aside from academics, Sonia was also a national-level athlete. She represented Abahani’s women’s volleyball and cricket teams, and went on to play for the Bangladesh National Volleyball Team, showcasing her leadership and team-building skills from an early age.
Career Highlights
Tech Corporate Leadership in Silicon Valley
Sonia began her professional career in Silicon Valley, where she worked for Fortune 100 giants like Sun Microsystems and Oracle as well as high-growth startups and financial institutions. Her areas of expertise span:
- Strategic growth planning
- Sales and execution
- Financial oversight
- Team building and leadership
- Change management
Leadership Roles in South Asia
After returning to South Asia, Sonia took up significant leadership roles across multinational corporations, including:
- Managing Director, Microsoft (Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan & Laos)
- Country Director, Dell Bangladesh
- Director, Business Development for South East Asia, Microsoft New Emerging Markets
- COO, Aamra Technologies Ltd.
Advocacy and Policy
Sonia served as an Advisor to the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), offering policy insights and protecting the interests of the private sector.
She has also served on the boards of:
- American International School Dhaka
- Bangladesh Employers Federation
- Bangladesh Cricket Board (Women’s Wing)
- Abahani Women’s Games Development Committee
- Women Entrepreneurs Association
Global Recognition and United Nations Role
Sonia’s international leadership was recognized when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed her to the Governing Council of the UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in 2015. She served as:
- Vice Chairman, UN Technology Bank (2017–2022)
- Reappointed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for another term (2019–2022)
She was also a board member of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, aligning with global sustainability and education initiatives.
Entrepreneurial Impact in Bangladesh
Sonia founded several pioneering initiatives to uplift women and startups in the Bangladeshi tech ecosystem:
- Bangladesh Women in IT (BWIT) – the first women’s IT association in the country
- Women Tech Investors Network (WTIN) – the first network for women tech investors
- The Angels Network (TAN) – angel investing group supporting early-stage tech startups
- TiE Dhaka Chapter – Founder President & Advisor, part of the global TiE network from Silicon Valley
These platforms promote inclusive innovation, connect entrepreneurs to funding and mentorship, and champion women’s participation in the digital economy.
Awards and Honors
Sonia Bashir Kabir’s contributions have earned her prestigious international and national awards:
- 100 Global Tech Changemakers, Rest of World (2022)
- ICT Business Person of the Year, The Daily Star ICT Awards (2019) – first woman recipient
- Microsoft Founder’s Award, selected by Bill Gates (2016) – among 5 recipients out of 100,000 employees
- UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer (2017) – one of 10 global honorees
- Anannya Top Ten Awards (2016) – for outstanding women in Bangladesh
She was specifically recognized for integrating seven SDGs into her work:
No Poverty, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry/Innovation/Infrastructure, Reduced Inequality, and Partnerships for the Goals.
Advocacy and Mentorship
Sonia actively supports youth-led technology initiatives and empowers women entrepreneurs across Bangladesh. She often collaborates with grassroots organizations to promote digital literacy, career readiness, and inclusive access to tech innovation.
Sonia Bashir Kabir is more than a technology leader—she is a change-maker who has transformed Bangladesh’s tech investment landscape and continues to inspire a new generation of women entrepreneurs. Her career bridges Silicon Valley professionalism with South Asian innovation, making her a rare and invaluable force in global technology and impact investing.
💡 Why These Women Matter?
These women aren’t just founders — they are architects of change. They represent the new face of entrepreneurship in Bangladesh: inclusive, bold, and deeply rooted in purpose. Their work is about more than profit — it’s about reshaping systems, creating jobs, breaking stereotypes, and opening doors for others.
Their collective message is clear:
- Innovation has no gender.
- Leadership looks different now.
- The future of Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem is female-forward.
🌱 Final Thoughts: A New Blueprint for the Next Generation
From travel to healthcare to AI, Sadia, Sylvana, and Tasfia have built businesses that matter — but perhaps more importantly, they’ve rewritten what’s possible for women in business. They didn’t wait for permission, nor did they wait for conditions to be perfect. They started anyway, and they built anyway.
To the aspiring women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh:
These are your role models.
This is your moment.
The revolution has already begun — and it’s being led by wonder women.
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